Questions tagged [books]
Questions concerning chess literature.
149
questions
2
votes
4answers
200 views
How much do you actually learn from the book Modern Chess Openings by Nick de Firmian?
How much theory does the book actually cover and how far in terms of opening knowledge and building my opening repertoire will memorising every line of the book get me?
4
votes
3answers
131 views
Book recommendation for chess engine building
This might be too broad a question, but can anyone recommend specific books that deal with chess engines, including hard-coded ones such as Stockfish, Komodo, and other ones also based on neural ...
5
votes
1answer
83 views
What chess book or teaching approach is this from my childhood?
When I was little (mid-late 90's) my mom taught me to play chess. She had a book, which looked pretty old at the time (perhaps from the 70s but I could be off by a decade or more). The book outlined ...
6
votes
1answer
632 views
How much should I rely on an external board or diagram when reading a chess book?
I'm currently making my first serious attempt to read a chess book. While I can generally follow and evaluate variations mentally if I can at least see the starting position in some diagram, I ...
17
votes
1answer
2k views
Stockfish is considering a move in a book by GM Mihail Marin as a blunder
In the book English opening volume 1 by Mihail Marin at this position
[fen "3nrrk1/bppq2p1/p4p1p/2Pp4/1P1P3N/P1BQ2P1/5PKP/4RR2 w - - 2 21"]
1. Qg6 (1. Ng6)
He suggests Qg6 whereas ...
2
votes
2answers
100 views
Suggestions about books to read
I am a beginner player and I am studying the game on some classical books: I began with "A primer of chess" by Capablanca. I would like to continue with these 3 books:
"Chess ...
4
votes
2answers
140 views
What did R.H.M. stand for?
I have a number of old chess books published by R.H.M. Press. I am curious as to whether "R.H.M." are the initials of something or someone, and if so, what?
As I understand it, R.H.M. Press was the ...
4
votes
3answers
171 views
Which book should one read if they want to play like Tigran Petrosian?
According to Wikipedia, the former world champion Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian has "almost impenetrable defensive playing style, which emphasized safety above all else".
Here defensive is by no ...
5
votes
1answer
333 views
How to proceed with the book “Pawn Structure Chess” by Andrew Soltis?
Should I memorize everything in the book, or use it in some other way?
6
votes
1answer
377 views
How do I know what chess books to buy?
I have a lot of my own chess games in pgn format, Im wondering if there is a tool that examines my games and suggests what books I should buy to improve?
4
votes
2answers
285 views
Good books to learn the Ruy Lopez with
I have a very poor repertoire; with White I only play d4, and though I'm quite familiarized with the possibilities on this opening move, I'm lost regarding 1. e4.
Trying to gain flexibility, I want ...
5
votes
1answer
119 views
Does the Réti opening continuing to evolve?
"How to win in the chess openings" by I.A. Horowitz states, regarding the Réti opening, that "there is no known way which leads to an advantage for white" which leads to the conclusion that it should ...
4
votes
1answer
120 views
Guide to using a book
I am currently twenty years old. I learned the rules of chess when I was eight and played on and off for a long time. However, I did not take it seriously. Recently after joining chess.com and trying ...
3
votes
1answer
142 views
Which endgame manual?
Which endgame manual do you recommend and why?
• Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual
• Fundamental Chess Endings (Muller & Lamprecht)
• Silman's Complete Endgame Course
• Some other book
I am ...
4
votes
1answer
915 views
How to use Polyglot opening book bin file
I previously asked how to use polyglot in c# with a chess engine. My question then was not accurate. What I want to know is, what property(ies) of the bin file object I need to do the following:
I ...
14
votes
2answers
2k views
Trading queens in the opening
Which standard openings in chess usually pave the way for an early queen trade in the game? In other words, which opening has a high probability of exchanging the queens in the opening itself? Does ...
3
votes
3answers
92 views
Are there any books pamphlets or articles on how to train to play at GM level?
CL&R had an article about how Fischer trained at a spa in the Adirondacks for an upcoming match.
One thing he did was swim and also hold his breath for as long as he could. Not sure that ...
4
votes
1answer
76 views
Did any other language than English ever use Descriptive notation? Which languages have always used Algebraic?
Descriptive notation seems to be limited to certain languages like English, and I found a Wikipedia article that mentions Spanish and French.
I have never seen a Russian book that uses Descriptive, ...
4
votes
2answers
183 views
Can anyone recommend a positional book focused on preparing pawn breaks?
Feel free to share more than one book. I'm very interested in understanding better those preparatory moves.
21
votes
2answers
5k views
What is the Dorfman method in chess?
On various occasions in commentaries or interviews, e.g. during the World Championship commentary with Peter Svidler and Anish Giri, I've heard the Dorfman method being mentioned. I then learned that ...
6
votes
1answer
201 views
What are good resources to use to learn how to best use pawns and pawn structures?
Pawn structure seems to be one of the key areas that a player needs to know well to be able to have a high rating.
What are the best ways to learn how to best use pawns and pawn structure?
2
votes
1answer
124 views
How to use a Polyglot book in C# with a chess engine
I would like, if possible, for someone to provide a code snippet of a basic logic to access a Polyglot book file. I'm having trouble finding the file format documentation, so I don't know how to ...
9
votes
3answers
714 views
Books on opening theory organized around tactical/strategic motives, not opening lines
"Understand your openings, not just memorize lines" is a common advice given to a club level player. However, most opening books are still organized around lines, amended with some explanations that ...
18
votes
5answers
5k views
How to improve from ~1200?
I am not new to the game of Chess. I have been (casually) playing it for over a decade, and I would like to get better at it.
I know the basic rules of the game very well, I understand basic tactics ...
2
votes
3answers
132 views
Books for beginners who have hard time understanding positions of pieces?
I'm new here and I found a book called Logical Chess by Chernev. Is this a great book to start if you are a beginner and you only know how to move pieces but not how to develop them? I'm having a hard ...
5
votes
6answers
321 views
What was the first “Opening Repertoire” book?
As title above states, what was/were the first "Opening Repertoire" book/s? I remember that opening books of the 1970s and early 1980s weren't actually repertoires for White or Black, but treatises on ...
7
votes
2answers
999 views
Is it possible to reach master level without studying theory?
Wikipedia page for GM Granda from Peru says:
Julio Granda does not study opening theory. He has said that he has
only read a chess book, the third volume of the General Chess Treaty
of Roberto Grau. ...
4
votes
1answer
96 views
Intermediate Chess Books
Does anyone have any suggestions for intermediate chess books? Tactics or endgames would be the topic that I'd mainly like to focus on!
5
votes
2answers
321 views
Who has the biggest chess library?
I once had 1800 chess books before I sold off about 600 of the least-good ones and doubles (I used to buy entire collections from people, so you get some stuff you do not want).
I know an IM friend ...
4
votes
1answer
116 views
How does the move order 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 “rule out Philidor's Defence 2…d6”?
So I was reading "An Opening Repertoire for the Positional Player", by Gufeld and Kalinich, and found the title's assertion. And I just can't think why after "1. e4 e5 2. Nc3", d6 would be bad for ...
20
votes
3answers
3k views
Did Bobby Fischer actually write “Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess”?
Did Bobby Fischer actually write his bestseller primer “Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess” (1966, 978-0553130539), or was it written by a ghost writer?
I often ask myself this question because it seems ...
4
votes
2answers
242 views
Does anyone have a version of the 50x50 article by Nikita Plaksin?
In 1979, Nikita M. Plaksin published a reportedly fascinating article containing 50 problems all related to the 50 moves rule. Unfortunately I can't find it anywhere, the only links that I could find ...
4
votes
2answers
161 views
Does anyone know if there is an English translation of this book?
It is a book written by Boris Zlotnik. I found some books from him in search, but I'm not sure whether the same book. Some titles with chess course vol.1, vol2., etc..
2
votes
1answer
164 views
Analysis of chess by Philidor in PGN
Where can I find games annotated by Philidor in his book in a PGN file?
0
votes
1answer
185 views
How would I train like Bobby Fischer did? [closed]
As the title suggests, I want to know how to train like Bobby Fischer did, along with what books he read during his chess training. Remember, keyword is TRAIN. I don’t want to be like him, as that is ...
5
votes
3answers
426 views
Chess strategy versus positional chess
If one master writes a book on chess strategy (example here) and another writes a book on positional chess (example here), are they writing more or less on the same subject?
Do other major chess ...
0
votes
1answer
243 views
Chess software for writing books
I am currently converting some of my chess books into electronic format by manually copying the pgn and making notes. I have found lichess study and chessable courses to be useful in doing this. ...
0
votes
1answer
156 views
Is there a GUI software that exports chess diagrams for chess authors?
Is there a program either Linux or a Windows program that can create a chess position and save it as an image. That image can then be used by the chess author in a book that is being written.
1
vote
2answers
100 views
Ambiguity in Text
John Nunn mentions the following in Understanding Chess: Move by Move (2002):
Pawn weaknesses vary in severity according to two factors: 1) whether there is any possibility of liquidating the ...
6
votes
4answers
309 views
How can I improve my knowledge of pawn structure theory?
What resources (books, videos, websites) are there to help me improve my understanding of pawn structures?
3
votes
3answers
406 views
How to improve my game
I am doing tactics 30 minutes a day, practicing end games for about 90 minutes and analyzing 1 GM annotated game a day.
I can understand the logic behind why the move is played, but I can't apply it ...
6
votes
1answer
206 views
Autobiography by Sonja Graf
In the book "Chess Bitch" by Jennifer Shahade I have read that Sonja Graf has written an autobiography in Spanish. Can anyone help me locate the book? It could be in Spanish, German, English or ...
2
votes
3answers
255 views
Sales rankings for chess books?
Are there any estimates sales rankings for chess books? How much do a bestselling chess book generally sell?
3
votes
5answers
460 views
Book recommendations on Pawn Endgame for intermediate and advanced level players?
I just started preparing Endgame using Dvoretsky Endgame Manual. I am wondering if there are more books online about Pawn Endgames that I can use side by side either as an additional study material or ...
6
votes
3answers
237 views
How should I read chess books that show games or parts of games?
When reading books like Sorcerer's Apprentice or Life & Games of Mikhail Tal, often a position is shown followed by a list of moves, then another key position, then more moves, and another ...
1
vote
2answers
2k views
What are weak squares in chess; how can they help to mate another player? [closed]
I read this concept in a book but I didn't understand much about the concept. Can anybody explain this concept with an example?
2
votes
2answers
155 views
What are some chess books on openings which include computer analysis?
I once had a book on the sharp Wilkes-Barre variation of the Two Knights Defense written in the 1970s in which there were a few moves which were said to be clearly winning for one side in which a ...
6
votes
1answer
257 views
Looking for a specific chess book
My father taught me chess at a young age. I am still not very good, though. Now, we have started again playing against one another and analyze positions. He remembered a book, which he possessed but ...
4
votes
4answers
538 views
What is the best way to sell old chess books?
I listed some books on eBay but had little interest (few pageviews/few bids etc.) meaning that I would make an untenable loss on them (I'm not selling them for profit, but I want a reasonable price ...
11
votes
4answers
3k views
Failing to understand a pin from a tactics book
I've began going through, over the board, 1001 Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations - 21st century edition. This book is a great supplement to my last question on studying tactics, and I feel ...
